Boudica

Boudica (/ˈbuːdᵻkə/; alternative spelling: Boudicca, also known as Boadicea /boʊdᵻˈsiːə/ and in Welsh as Buddug [ˈbɨ̞ðɨ̞ɡ]) (d. AD 60 or 61) was a queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.

Boudica's husband Prasutagus ruled as a nominally independent ally of Rome and left his kingdom jointly to his daughters and the Roman emperor in his will. However, when he died his will was ignored, and the kingdom was annexed. Boudica was flogged, her daughters raped, and Roman financiers called in their loans.

In AD 60 or 61, when the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was campaigning on the island of Anglesey off the northwest coast of Wales, Boudica led the Iceni, the Trinovantes, and others in revolt. They destroyed Camulodunum (modern Colchester), earlier the capital of the Trinovantes but at that time a colonia, a settlement for discharged Roman soldiers and site of a temple to the former Emperor Claudius. Upon hearing of the revolt, Suetonius hurried to Londinium (modern London), the 20-year-old commercial settlement that was the rebels' next target.

MV Boudicca

MV Boudicca is a cruise ship owned and operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. She was built in 1973 by Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland as Royal Viking Sky for Nordenfjeldske Dampsibsselskap, Trondheim, which placed the ship in Royal Viking Line service.

Prior to entering service with her current owners, the ship has also sailed under the names Sunward (for Norwegian Cruise Line), Birka Queen (with Birka Cruises), Golden Princess (with Princess Cruises), SuperStar Capricorn (with Star Cruises), Hyundai Keumgang (with Hyundai Merchant Marine) and Grand Latino (with Viajes Iberojet (now Iberocruceros)).

Concept and construction

Royal Viking Sky was ordered by Nordenfjeldske Dampsibsselskap, Trondheim from the Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. She was one of three near-identical ships ordered by different companies from for Royal Viking Line service. Her sister ships were Royal Viking Star, owned by Bergenske Dampskibsselskap, Bergen, and Royal Viking Sea, owned by A. F. Klaveness & Co, Oslo. The Royal Viking Sky was launched from drydock on 25 May 1972 and delivered to her owners on 5 June 1973.